Through the storm
Aragorn opened the wooden door of the small stable and went in, followed closely by his Elven companions. The strong, cold wind shut the door fiercely before the friends even had a chance to.
"Thank you." Aragorn mumbled, blowing on his fingers to get circulation in them again. The five companions, four Elves and one Human, had been caught in a nasty blizzard. The temperature had dropped so low that even the Elves had started to feel the chill. Unfortunately, Aragorn felt all the cold, being a Human and all. The Elves had all given Aragorn their cloaks to make the Human a bit warmer.
The five companions consisted of Aragorn, Legolas, Gilthoniel and the Peredhil twins. Gilthoniel was the fair daughter of Glorfindel of Rivendell. She had sea-green eyes and golden hair. She used an Elven sword (with the curved blade) and a bow for weapons. She wore the same Rivendell tunics as the twins.
"There are lofts here. We shall have to stay overnight; I don't think the storm is calming down any." Elrohir said, gesturing to the lofts overhead. The stable held no horses, for it seemed to be an abandoned stable anyhow. The ground was made of dirt and dead grass. "There are eight lofts, enough for us each to have our own."
The companions were in Forlindon, almost completely west of Mirkwood, on business. Unfortunately, the land's weather was sometimes unpredictable and one day it could be 100 degrees and the next day it could unexpectedly be below zero. And from Rivendell, where the companions had started, all the way to Forlindon was about 600 miles, which the companions completed in about ten and a half days.
Gilthoniel started a small fire, enough to keep them all warm, but not so much as the whole place would burn down, seeing as the stable is made of wood.
After everyone was warmer and fed, they went to their lofts. They stood watch in shifts; Legolas then Elladan, Elrohir, Gilthoniel and then Aragorn, but when Gilthoniel's shift was over, she didn't wake Aragorn, for the Man would need all the sleep he could find, so she stood his shift too.
The next morning, the sun blazed a little hotter, melting some snow from last night's blizzard. It must have gotten a little warmer, but not much. The blizzard had obviously stopped. The five sleeping in the lofts were rudely awakened by a loud shout and an arrow flying through the roof at an odd angle.
"Up, you thieves, up! Up, up, up!"
The Elves climbed down quickly, but Aragorn came groggily. "We aren't thieves; we needed shelter from the storm." Elrohir said quickly, the bow aimed at him as he spoke. When the younger twin was finished speaking, the bow was aimed quickly at each of them
"Elves...four of yaw. I woulda thought better of some of the Firstborn. You Elves can't be trusted. What was ya all tryin to do, eh? Were ya's gonna steal me horses, eh? Were ya?" An elderly woman with more wrinkles in her face than in her clothing said, aiming the bow at Aragorn quickly before pointing it at the others.
They all looked sideways at the empty stalls. There were no horses. "No, madam, we weren't going to steal your horses." Gilthoniel answered before the others could say something about no horses even being present.
"Ah, no, you Elves have yours own horses, don't you's? Well, then you must be after my chickens or my cats, maybe me cattle, eh?"
"No, madam, we just needed shelter from the storm, like my friend said." Gilthoniel answered.
The old woman looked at Elrond's sons. "You's are twins aren't 'cha? My little nephew was a twin, but those nasty beasts came through and killed his brothers and almost killed his father, they did."
"We're sorry about that, ma'am. Are you speaking of Orcs when you say 'beasts'?" Elladan asked.
"Orcs, Goblins, Uruk-hai, yep." She answered, aiming the bow at the elder twin.
"When was this?" Aragorn asked.
"A few weeks ago." The old lady's violet eyes narrowed. "My nephews' father, my oldest son he is, is injured badly. Don't think he'll live much longer, sadly."
"My friends are from Rivendell and they are under the instruction of Lord Elrond, who is a skilled Healer...one of he best, if not the best in all Middle-Earth...maybe they could tend to your son." Legolas said, acknowledging his friends.
"I'lls make you fives a deal. Heal my son back to health and I'lls let you alls go. If you cannots heal him, I will get proper security up here and you wills be in prison for a long time, eh." The woman said.
"Deal," they all said at the same time.
"Drop your weapons and follow me." She said.
They dropped their swords, knives, bows and arrows on the ground and were led to a small cabin.
Aragorn opened the wooden door of the small stable and went in, followed closely by his Elven companions. The strong, cold wind shut the door fiercely before the friends even had a chance to.
"Thank you." Aragorn mumbled, blowing on his fingers to get circulation in them again. The five companions, four Elves and one Human, had been caught in a nasty blizzard. The temperature had dropped so low that even the Elves had started to feel the chill. Unfortunately, Aragorn felt all the cold, being a Human and all. The Elves had all given Aragorn their cloaks to make the Human a bit warmer.
The five companions consisted of Aragorn, Legolas, Gilthoniel and the Peredhil twins. Gilthoniel was the fair daughter of Glorfindel of Rivendell. She had sea-green eyes and golden hair. She used an Elven sword (with the curved blade) and a bow for weapons. She wore the same Rivendell tunics as the twins.
"There are lofts here. We shall have to stay overnight; I don't think the storm is calming down any." Elrohir said, gesturing to the lofts overhead. The stable held no horses, for it seemed to be an abandoned stable anyhow. The ground was made of dirt and dead grass. "There are eight lofts, enough for us each to have our own."
The companions were in Forlindon, almost completely west of Mirkwood, on business. Unfortunately, the land's weather was sometimes unpredictable and one day it could be 100 degrees and the next day it could unexpectedly be below zero. And from Rivendell, where the companions had started, all the way to Forlindon was about 600 miles, which the companions completed in about ten and a half days.
Gilthoniel started a small fire, enough to keep them all warm, but not so much as the whole place would burn down, seeing as the stable is made of wood.
After everyone was warmer and fed, they went to their lofts. They stood watch in shifts; Legolas then Elladan, Elrohir, Gilthoniel and then Aragorn, but when Gilthoniel's shift was over, she didn't wake Aragorn, for the Man would need all the sleep he could find, so she stood his shift too.
The next morning, the sun blazed a little hotter, melting some snow from last night's blizzard. It must have gotten a little warmer, but not much. The blizzard had obviously stopped. The five sleeping in the lofts were rudely awakened by a loud shout and an arrow flying through the roof at an odd angle.
"Up, you thieves, up! Up, up, up!"
The Elves climbed down quickly, but Aragorn came groggily. "We aren't thieves; we needed shelter from the storm." Elrohir said quickly, the bow aimed at him as he spoke. When the younger twin was finished speaking, the bow was aimed quickly at each of them
"Elves...four of yaw. I woulda thought better of some of the Firstborn. You Elves can't be trusted. What was ya all tryin to do, eh? Were ya's gonna steal me horses, eh? Were ya?" An elderly woman with more wrinkles in her face than in her clothing said, aiming the bow at Aragorn quickly before pointing it at the others.
They all looked sideways at the empty stalls. There were no horses. "No, madam, we weren't going to steal your horses." Gilthoniel answered before the others could say something about no horses even being present.
"Ah, no, you Elves have yours own horses, don't you's? Well, then you must be after my chickens or my cats, maybe me cattle, eh?"
"No, madam, we just needed shelter from the storm, like my friend said." Gilthoniel answered.
The old woman looked at Elrond's sons. "You's are twins aren't 'cha? My little nephew was a twin, but those nasty beasts came through and killed his brothers and almost killed his father, they did."
"We're sorry about that, ma'am. Are you speaking of Orcs when you say 'beasts'?" Elladan asked.
"Orcs, Goblins, Uruk-hai, yep." She answered, aiming the bow at the elder twin.
"When was this?" Aragorn asked.
"A few weeks ago." The old lady's violet eyes narrowed. "My nephews' father, my oldest son he is, is injured badly. Don't think he'll live much longer, sadly."
"My friends are from Rivendell and they are under the instruction of Lord Elrond, who is a skilled Healer...one of he best, if not the best in all Middle-Earth...maybe they could tend to your son." Legolas said, acknowledging his friends.
"I'lls make you fives a deal. Heal my son back to health and I'lls let you alls go. If you cannots heal him, I will get proper security up here and you wills be in prison for a long time, eh." The woman said.
"Deal," they all said at the same time.
"Drop your weapons and follow me." She said.
They dropped their swords, knives, bows and arrows on the ground and were led to a small cabin.